How to Decorate with Dark Colors | Color Codes VOL.4: Midnight Blue

Wednesday, October 24

Notice anything different about today's Color Codes Post? We're posting on a Wednesday instead of Tuesday! A few days ago I decided to move the series to Wednesday because I want to start uploading youtube videos on Tuesday. This change wasn't supposed to happen until November but something unexpected happened yesterday so I decided to start the new schedule today.

Okay, now that's out the way let's get started with the post! For today's Color Codes post I'm featuring the first deep shade, midnight blue! I adore this mature shade of blue because it's a universal color which means you can use it in any room. Today I'm we're talking about three different ways to incorporate this beautiful color into your bathroom.

I created the Color Codes Series to teach you guys (my readers!) how to incorporate color to your home in a stress-free, cohesive way. In each post, I feature a specific hex color code and explain how to incorporate the color in your home. Every post teaches you how to decorate a space with monochromatic tones, neutrals shades, and triadic colors so you can choose which style fits your home the best. To put it shortly, this entire post is basically a color theory cheat sheet in 1500 words or less.

| UNDERSTANDING THE COLOR BLUEBlue is associated with freedom, imagination, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, stability, and intelligence. That being said, too much blue can create feelings of melancholy, negativity, sadness, self-righteousness, and self-centeredness.

| BLUE'S DEFINITION IN DESIGN

Studies show the color blue has positive effects on the mind and the body. It invokes a restful state of mind by causing the body to produce calming chemicals and exude feelings of tranquility. Blue also helps to slow human metabolism and balance self-expression. This color is also known to suppress appetite which is why I strongly suggest avoiding it in your dining room or breakfast nook. I made this mistake with our breakfast nook and now we hardly eat in it, haha.

Sidenote: some shades of blue, such as an electric or brilliant blue, can come across as cold or uncaring and can dampen spirits. Not all blues are serene and sedate.

| HOW TO INCORPORATE MIDNIGHT BLUE IN YOUR HOME

If you think midnight blue is intimidating, don't worry! Below, I have three different examples on how to use midnight blue in your bathroom. These examples show you how to use the color without darkening the room. The first way is a simplistic monochromatic style, the second features a bright bathroom with a ton of neutrals, and the last example features a warm cohesive space. All the designs are slightly different from each other but each space features a mature midnight blue color.

MONOCHROMATIC COLORS

This time the monochromatic example is the most simplistic out of the three examples. In this space, the midnight blue floor tiles make a bold statement while the modern tub and light blue paint create a spa-like atmosphere. I love this design because it combines light tones with dark shades to create a clean, simplistic space.

FUN FACT: The first row of colors are called shades because black is considered a shadow while the bottom row of colors is called tints because the more light (aka white) you add to a color the softer it gets. Both rows are considered blue because they gradually change within the same color range. They're basically increasing/decreasing the amount of light the color is exposed to instead of going around the color wheel. Therefore, both rows are still midnight blue. Hopefully, that's not confusing!

NEUTRAL TONES

In this example, the warm tones and gold hardware helps ground the space. The warm floors also create a traditional feeling while the midnight blue vanity adds an unexpected pop of color. Adding these little details elevates the space, giving it a luxurious feel.

TRIADIC HUES

For the first time in Color Codes history, our tragic example feature deep shades! I love this example but honestly, it as extremely difficult to find. I think this one was challenging to find because most people don't like to use more than one (or two!) dark shade in their bathroom.

The picture above features a slightly darker vanity compared to the previous example. It also has a lovely purple rug to compliment the midnight cabinets and dark floors. Since I couldn't find an example with all the colors I suggest using a faux plant or simplistic soap dispenser to represent the beautiful green color that's not showcased in this photo.

FUN FACT: In color theory, the definition of Triadic Colors is a color scheme that uses three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel. Triadic color harmonies tend to be considerably vibrant, even if you use pale or muted versions of the hues